The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1887-04-16

worthy of monumental respectand reverence,
who is it more than he? We had, fifty
years ago, many a good and true man
amongst US, who continued to walk and do,
in our midst, during many years, but they
have gradually yielded to natures law, until
now a few, very few only, are left.
Can | render a better service to those
young men, who may be looking for patterns
by which to guide their lives in quiet, un-
ostentatious discharge of duty to God, and
to their neighbors, and hope there are
here some so looking, than to point them
to the steady, straight forward walk, from
the opening of manhood to the closing Of
life, of William Grouse, the blacksmith,
who passed out of sight short time ago,
crowded with years, and with the respect
and reverence of all who knew him. With a
larger share of native intelligence than is
usually vouchsafed to men, cultured to the
full extent of his limited opportunities,
modest, almost childlike in simplicity, with
integrity unassaiIable, with character for
tru.hfulness and faithfulness TO all duties
undertaken, unimpeached and unimpeacha-
BILE, he labored at his anvil, from early morn
to setting sun, day in and day out, until
more than eighty winters had crowned him
with their whitest freshness, utterly uncon-
scious that any bos:y was noticing him, or
his walk in life, and unconscious that he
was doing anything to teach lesson, of any
kind, to other men. The lesson of the
life of him, and such as he was, for he was
.11,o ae 41,of nd orth nv and tyoOd
men who have lived and died in our midst
during these fifty years, | commend to
the study, and the following of my young
friends, on whom, in short time, are to de-
volve the responsibilities of maintaining the
honor and good fame, and abundance of the
homes which their fathers have builded for
them. Lawyers, and doctors, and clerks
at this era the stock on hand is abundant
for long time to come, and accessions will
mainly serve to jostle, intentionally to it
and to the accessor, the present abundant
supply. The farm and workshop will be a
better and more honorable resort.
= In this connection it may be not i'm
proper to remind you that you have in
your view, amongst others, survivor of
the energetic actors of fifty years ago,
who, from that day to this, has lived
and acted the part of useful, modest,
unobtrusive citizen, discharging well his
duties to his home, and the homes of his
neighbors, when circumstances required,
and proper invitation was made; but never,
through his long life, thrusting himself or
his services on any. John X. Longwell
has lived to preside over you to day, and
there is good deal of life in him still.
Then the only commonly respectable
brick buildings in Westminster were the
old bank house, the Fisher homestead OPP
posite, the Wampler homestead on the next
corner, the residence of Mr.. Jacob Wing
ling, that now of Mr.. John B. Boyle, then
occupied by Doctor Willis, but which
had been recently occupied as hotel by
Mr.. Joshua Cockey, that of Mrs. Sherman,
now belonging to Mrs. Shellman, the old
Shriver hotel, now the City Hotel, the resi-
dence of Major Matthias, that of Mr.. Gram
mer, and that now owned and occupied by
Mrs. Rippard; and near by, the Winchester
homestead, now the residence of Col. Nc
Kellip. The present speaks for itself, and
when it is remembered that not brick has
been laid in this town. or roof built, by
money that has been brought from elsewhere,
other than the surrounding neighborhood,
and that it is not commercial emporium, nor
a railroad center-that we are without the
attractions of stock board, or of grain
exchange-that all the money which has
been expended in building and improving
has been wrung out of our soil by our farm
ers labor, cannot help thinking that the
present speaking for itself of our town is
reasonably harmonious and pleasantly must
cal, to moderately cultivated tastei. There
were then, say, 60 feet of pavement in the
town, 80 feet in front of the old bank, and
80 feet in front of Reese's store Now it is
measured by the mile, and if it is not so
smooth and even as in Mount Vernon
Square, or in Eutaw Place, why be patient,
and remember that
Large streams from little fountains flow,
Tall oaks from little acorns grow
Give us time, but don't push us too fast
lest we lose our breath. Rome wasn't
built in day, and Lunnun Town took
several ages to grow to what it is.
Now SO it is, that as we get into the
history Of tho every day life Of Carroll
county, and that Is all the history We have,
and none is so valuable rightly considered,
material presses, and SO does time, and your
patience.
The especial point of this history is the
fixedness and steadiness of the families and
homes which were planted in the early
times, and which remain to this day, in
large part, where the founders planted them.
IF any one who had the time, and love
enough for the subject to prompt him,
would undertake to write and print a real
history of the early founders, and of their
foundations, and Of thelF descendants
downwards, it would be, / think, recital of
absorbing interest to large masses Of home
staying, but appreciative people. All that
time permits to me, on this occasion, is to
refer briefly to some of the families, SO
founded, whose representatives yet remain.
Amongst such are the Calls, the Nc
Kalebs, the Reindolars, McKellips, Boyles,
Crapsters, Swopes, SCOTS, Slaws, knoxs,
Qelaplanes, Rooms, Birnies, Mehrings,
Covers, Zollickofers, Haines, Shepherds,
Englars, E9gles, Stoners, Roberts, Smiths,
Roops, Rineharts, Wrights, Wolfes, Nc
Kinstrys, Cooksons, Hibberds, Woods,
Norris, Devilbiss, Bales, Gassells, and
something later Slinglufs, Billingsleas,
iists, Wamplers, Fringers, Trumbos,
Btzes. Yinglings, Powders, Fishers, Reeses,
II G.uI.,.,